Have Duplex Apt Unit - Renting to dog owner ?

[Richard Chang]

Hi everyone :)

I have a 2br 2ba both Upstairs and Downstairs and frequently get calls for Tenant with a dog.

I have rented with cats ( no problems so far ) but I'm reluctant to renting to dog owners as I'm afraid of the barking dog problems and any liabilities if the dog bites someone.

Can anyone advise on situations where a dog would be acceptable and if you can determine if the dog will be a problem or not ? :roll:

So, any advice on taking a tenant with a dog ? can you try and charge more ?
Seems like a big risk to me.

Thanks, Richard C

[Lynn McGeein]

I rent to tenants with a well-trained family dog, breed restrictions according to insurance and area, no weight limit, and must be clearly well-behaved, non-aggressive animal or they aren't moving in. That dog only is in lease. My managed ones (nothing with my other one) have an initial pet fee to cover some flea treatment they do, it's minimal, and no pet rent as I, too, find it insulting to people with well-trained dogs. In my rentals, tenants with kids have done more damage than tenants with dogs, so I prefer dogs.

We have had to rent recently as we've moved for work, and had to pay a huge $400 pet fee and pet rent in one place and a $300 fee plus pet rent in another. I did pay, so I am proof that you can force good tenants to pay it if they want to live in a specific location with an 80-lb dog, but I also took less than stellar care because of paying the fee -- not my dog, he is always perfect, but me, personally, decided more normal wear and tear was better than less if I'm paying that much extra. Point is, I would be cautious about charging pet fees versus refundable pet deposits, as it does change great tenants into not-so-great tenants. The one place we rented with the refundable pet deposit, I kept pristine.